From Kidnap Den to Safety: Bungudu Chairman, Others Escape as Troops Recover Rustled Cattle
The Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State, Hon. Nura Umar, and Alhaji Auwalu Makama, son of a former state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have escaped from kidnappers after spending weeks in captivity.
PRNigeria gathered that the two men fled alongside five other abductees after their captors reportedly left their hideout to launch another criminal operation. Sources familiar with the development said the seven captives seized the opportunity to escape when they realised the armed men had temporarily abandoned their camp.
As of the time of filing this report, PRNigeria could not independently verify the exact circumstances of their escape, the duration of their captivity, or how they eventually reached safety.
In a separate development, troops operating in Sokoto State have foiled an attack by suspected terrorists and recovered a large herd of rustled cattle in Kebbe Local Government Area.
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The armed group was intercepted along the Tambuwal–Gadaichi–Gummi Road while reportedly moving with the stolen livestock. According to information obtained by PRNigeria, the suspects opened fire upon sighting the advancing troops in an attempt to escape.
The soldiers returned fire, forcing the armed men to abandon the cattle and flee into nearby bushes. The suspects are believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter, though the number of casualties could not be independently confirmed.
Following the operation, troops secured the recovered livestock and placed the animals in military custody pending their return to their rightful owners. Arrangements have been concluded for the formal handover of the cattle to the Chairman of the Sokoto State Committee on the Recovery of Rustled Animals, which will oversee identification and verification before returning them to affected community members.
The two incidents come amid sustained security operations targeting banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling across Nigeria’s North‑West region, where criminal networks continue to pose significant threats to rural communities and economic activities.
PRNigeria will provide updates as more details emerge.
By PRNigeria
